Brac Wildfire Declared Out After 18 Days, Cause Unknown
The blaze between Lozisca and Bobovisca burned about 5,000 hectares and forced the sea evacuation of some 700 people near Milna. Split police are still investigating the scene.
The wildfire on Brac, which broke out on the evening of September 10 between Lozisca and Bobovisca, has been officially declared out after 18 days, and Split police have yet to establish how it started. On the Adriatic island next door to Serbia, firefighters say about 5,000 hectares of pine forest, low scrub and grass burned, and around 700 people were evacuated by sea near Milna.
A Dalmatian news portal reports that the fire was officially declared out yesterday. That ended a multi-day operation involving hundreds of firefighters from across Croatia, backed by firefighting aircraft.
How did the fire spread across the island?
The Split County Firefighting Operations Center received a report of an open-area fire near Lozisca on the evening of September 10. Grass, low scrub and maquis were burning on difficult terrain, and a strong wind quickly pushed the flames toward the settlements of Lozisca and Bobovisca. Residential buildings were defended at that stage.
Over the following days the fire spread toward the coves of Duboka, Lucice and Osibova, toward Milna, and across a large part of western and southern Brac. The fire front was wide, and firefighters were hampered by inaccessible terrain and shifting winds. The main complicating factor was the bora, which blew for days: crews managed to stabilize the situation several times, but the fire flared up again.
Traffic on local roads was cut off because of the fire. Two people suffered minor injuries near Milna. During those days the Air Force was also fighting other fires in Split-Dalmatia County, in addition to the one on Brac.
How much land actually burned?
Estimates varied during the operation. Satellite images in mid-September showed an affected area of about 5,600 hectares, while firefighters later put the burned area at roughly 5,000 hectares. The official figure, as relayed by Croatian media, is the latter.
The fire was contained on September 18. After that, firefighters spent days walking the terrain, putting out remaining hot spots and keeping watch at the site, until the fire was officially declared out.
What is known about the cause?
Almost nothing so far. According to Split police, the on-site investigation is still under way, and only after it ends is the cause of the fire to be determined. Police have not offered any version of how it started, and no one has been named as responsible.
Based on the available information, it is known where the fire began, where it traveled and how much land it consumed, but not why it began. It also remains unknown how long the investigation will last in a burned area that stretches across a large part of western Brac.
